News releases

April 13, 2012

Posted in News Releases

Postal Codes and the Importance of Accuracy

April 13, 2012

Posted in News Releases

(Ottawa, ON) – While it would be inappropriate for Canada Post to comment on the specifics regarding a legal proceeding, we would like to provide some context when it comes to the importance of quality data.

The shipping world – mail, parcels, e-commerce – all rely on accurate and up-to-date data.  When that data is not up-to-date or monitored daily, it leads to delivery delays, lost mail and waste of paper and money.

Each year, of the 32 million Canadians Canada Post delivers to, more than one million change their address, 200 thousand new addresses are added and other changes occur.  Beyond what Canadians tell us, our equipment and people on the street monitor and correct address inaccuracy on a regular basis.

It requires a lot of time and money to get it right, but there is no other way to get to the level of accuracy required to prevent unnecessary delays, losses and waste.  We have to get it right to effectively deliver to Canadians and ensure mailers and shippers can trust the system.

Canada Post is not a federal department. We are a self-sustaining Crown corporation that relies on the revenues from the sale of its products and services. Just as other corporations would protect their Brand, Data, Trademarks and Intellectual property, we strive to do the same.

Our licensed products are developed and priced so that businesses of all sizes can gain access. But the usage must be under defined licensing terms to ensure that the quality and ‘hygiene’ of the address data is maintained.

Canada Post is proud of the service we provide to every Canadian and works hard on a daily basis to ensure the accuracy and dependability of the postal system.